Arizona, Once Known For Its Citrus Fruit, Is Now Known For Its Nuts

And I'm not talking about the produce. 

According to a September 15 editorial in the Herald Review, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Daniels was approached by a parent who brought a petition signed by 72 people asking that he investigate the "massive child abuse" occurring in the city of Sierra Vista, Cochise County's largest city, population 43,000 including the adjacent military base, Ft. Huachuca.  After meeting with the individual making the complaint, the Sheriff dismissed the allegations.  The parent was asking the Sheriff to arrest the superintendent and members of the Sierra Vista Unified School District board because they mandated the wearing of masks in all of the school's facilities.  

There are 5,500 students in the Sierra Vista Unified School district.  This petition was signed by 72 people, presumably parents though that is not specifically known.  These people are loud, insistent on getting their way, and they are a very small minority.  They get a lot of attention because it doesn't take very many people to fill a small room the size of where most school boards meet, they make a lot of noise and threats.  

It's laughable to equate requiring students to wear a mask with child abuse.  I'd be willing to bet there's not a single parent in that same school district who has a child that plays football who wants to arrest the superintendent for making their son wear a helmet.  And yes, it is exactly the same thing.  Maybe there are parents who think any clothing at all is too restrictive, and therefore abusive.  Is wearing a bra abusive?  What about shoes?  

Under normal circumstances, I'd say to school boards and school officials, who have a tremendous responsibility to keep students safe and schools open every single day so that these parents can send their children there safely, ignore them. They're a small minority and they're just making noise.  Threats are just pressure because they are a minority and that frustrates them.  It's the day and age in which we live, the kind of behavior some politicians and leaders have been exhibiting when they don't get their way.  But it is, indeed, this day and age.  Stupidity and ignorance are on the march and it is a sign of some really unstable, unbalanced thinking.  So under these conditions, I'd say, be careful, because some of these people are obviously nuts.

"We Know Where You Live and We're Coming For You" 

That's the threat received by State Senator Michelle Urgenti-Rita, one of two Republicans in the Arizona senate who, after watching the whole Cyber Ninja scam unfold for months, concluded that they were completely incompetent and would not produce a report that could be trusted.  

Senator Urgenti-Rita concluded that the Cyber Ninjas were not competent to conduct an election audit and said, "Sadly, it's now become clear that the audit has become botched."  

She also took Senate President Karen Fann to task, saying that her incompetence "deprived the voters of Arizona a comprehensive accounting of the 2020 election. That's inexcuseable, but it shows what happens when Republicans do not take election integrity seriously."  

Well, in reality, Arizona had two election audits, along with a recount, done by competent firms experienced in election audits with an impeccable record of accuracy, so the voters were not denied a comprehensive accounting.  They got two, both of which showed that there was no fraud.  But Senator Urgenti-Rita nailed it when it comes to Senate President Fann.  Hiring a scam audit like Cyber Ninjas, backed by money from Trump contributors and campaign officers, was inexcusable.  Republicans no longer take election integrity seriously.  Fann needs to step down or Republicans will take an electoral beating like they've only read about happening.  

And so, a Republican state senator tells the truth, and Republican nuts issue threats.  

Now all of that happened before the Cyber Ninjas released their "report" which concluded that there was no massive voter fraud, that babbled here and there about nothing significant related to the election and then concluded, predictably, that the certified results were wrong because they found that Biden actually won Arizona by even more votes than the state certified.  We've left the pecan orchard at this point and we've walked through the doors of the insane asylum. 

And Then There's Congressman Gosar

There's a video out showing Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar speaking to a small group of constituents in Scottsdale pushing more Trumpie insanity about election fraud.  Gosar blames Dominion Voting Systems, the company who builds the ballot counting machines, claiming that there were between 400,000 and 700,000 mis-counted fraudulent ballots in Arizona.  

That's nuts, especially since that would have required a massive number of Republican Trump supporters to be in on a conspiracy.  But what's even more nuts is Gosar's demeanor in the video.  He looks like there's something wrong with him.  His head moves from side to side, his eyes are wide and frightened-looking, he speaks in hushed tones and makes wild claims which, of course, turned out to be untrue.  

But that's not the first time Gosar has spouted baseless election fraud theories.  Back in 2018, he claimed Martha McSally was cheated out of a win by none other than Kyrsten Sinema.  And yeah, maybe it is just his appearance and the way he speaks, but he looks like a bad actor in a horror film talking about the conspiracies.  

Gosar has also stepped up to defend the insurrectionists and rebels of January 6th.  And his facial expressions, head movements and overall demeanor leave the impression that he's not all there, that something's not right somewhere, that he's waiting for a boogeyman to jump out from behind a wall and frighten everyone.  

His sister provides some insights, sort of like Trump's niece, Mary. 

Jennifer Gosar on Paul Gosar's January 6th Blabber

An Insult to Those Who Are Abuse Victims

Claiming that making kids wear masks to school is "child abuse" is not only an insult to every child who has been abused, especially in that particular community, it diminishes the seriousness of child abuse, minimizes the victims and demonstrates inexcusable ignorance.  That's the same kind of deplorable insensitivity displayed by Trump when he mocked a reporter who had cerebral palsy.  But I guess its the kind of rudeness we can expect from conservatives from now on, since they're a frustrated minority and they're not getting their way.  

To the vast majority of parents who want their kids to be safe when they go to school, if they're old enough, get them vaccinated.  If not, just remember which of your legislators was partly responsible for that insidious law that went into effect today, preventing your school officials from mandating protection for your children at school.  If the conservatives want this to be about politics, then they've sure picked a loser.  Trump and now being anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers.  That's a lose-lose combination for sure, and in a purple state like Arizona, it's a big step toward Democrats controlling the state legislature, increasing their representation in congress and electing a new governor.  It's coming and this kind of stupidity and ignorance is not something people tend to forget.